Tube holding structure and lock



Nov. 7,- 1939. J. M. BANDlsH E1- Al. 2,179,248

TUBE HOLDING STRUCTURE ANULOCK Filed May 3. 1937 zo 'mi Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES TUBE HOLDING STRUCTURE AND LOCK yJoseph M. Bandish and Orville Mai-kel, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 3, 1937, Serial No. 140,472

1 Claim.

rli'his inve'ntion relates to a structure for holding and locking tubes in bosses. tube sheets, or the like, and includes a method of conveniently securing tubes in mountings therefor.

More specifically, this invention relates to the formation 4 of protruding beads on condenser tubes for abutting opposite sides of tube mounting bushings or tube sheets to lock an end of the tube against movement out of its mounting.

The invention will be hereinafter specically described in connection with condenser tubes, but :lt shouldbe understood that the invention is applicable to the mounting of all types of tubing. v

It has heretofore been the practice to mount and seal condenser tubes by relatively soft packlng or lead calking inserted around the ends'of the tubes. This calking mounting and seal is not satisfactory, since calking alone works loose during expansion and contraction of the tubes.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a tube holding structure for use in combination with calking material to hold an end of the tube securely in its mounting.

A. further 'object of this invention is to provide a tube holding structure wherein beads are :formed on the tube for abutting the tube mountlng to hold the tube therein.

A further object of this invention is to provide a convenient method for securing tubes in tube mountings to hold the tubes against movement out of the mountings by expansion and contraction Another object of this invention is to provide i a method of expanding tube ends in their mountings for locking thetubes therein.

Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent to thosevskilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings, which disclose preierred embodiments of the invention.v

On the drawing:

Figure `1 is a broken cross-sectional View of a condenser tube mounted at its ends in tube sheets.

Figure 2 is a broken fragmentary cross-sectional view, With parts shown in elevation, illustrating a tool for forming beads on the end of a tube for holding the tube in a tube sheet.

Figure 3 is a broken fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to -Figure 2 showing the position of the tool after the beads have been formed on the condenser tube.

Figure llis a top plan view of the tool shown in Flgures2 and 3.

` tube.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the tool shown in Figures -2 and 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a condenser tube end mounted in a modied form of tube sheet. 5

As shown on the drawing:

In Figure l, the reference numeral I0 designagg't; generally a condenser tube having the ends theof mounted lin tube sheets II. and I2. The tube sheets II and I2 have apertures I3 extend- 10 ing therethrough. The apertures i3 are counterbored as at I4 to deline shoulders I5 in spaced relation from the inner faces of the tube sheets. This provides a portion I6 on each tube sheet disposed in snug relation around the tube in spaced relation from the extreme ends of the Packing rings I'l are disposed around the tube ends for abutting the shoulders I5. The packing rings may be of hard ber, vulcanized rubber, or like material.

Calking material It such as lead is threaded into the counterbores I 4 of the tube sheets and sealed against the ends of the tube. 'Ihe calking material I8 seals the ends of the tube in the tube sheets II and I2, but as the tube expands and contracts during operation of the condenser due to variable temperatures, it is apt to work loose in the 'tube sheets and even slide outv of one of the tube sheets.

In order to prevent this condition, according to this invention, there are provided protruding beads I9 and 20 on one end of the'tube for abutting opposite sides of the portions I6 of the tube sheet Il, as shown in Figure 1. This structure securely holds and locks the end of the tube III in the sheet I I. The other end of the tube, however, is preferably not provided with beads for locking it` in the tube sheet I2. 'Ihis end, therefore, can move relative to the tube sheet I2 and permit an expansion and contraction of the tube. However, since the other end of the tube is securely held, the tube can never work `out o1.' the vtube sheet or move suilciently to damage the 28 extending back from the bottom of the hous- 65 ing for a considerable distance. This structure makes possible an expansion of the end 21, as hereinafter more fully described.

Protruding beads 29 and 30 are formed around 5 the end 21 of the housing member 26, with the bead 30 being adjacent the bottom of the member and the bead 29 spaced from the bead 3l) at a distance substantially equal to the width of the portion I6 of the tube sheet II. A collar 3| is 10 threaded on the housing member 26 above the end 21 thereof. This collar 3l is positioned on the housing 26 to aline the beads 29 and 30 with the portion I6 of the tube sheet II, and can be locked in adjusted position by means of a set screw 32 engaging the housing 26. In this manner, the collar 3I is merely adjusted on the housing 26 so that when the end 21 is vinserted into the end of the tube I0 in the tube sheet II until the collar abuts the outer face of the tube sheet, the beads 29 and 30 on the end 21 will be aligned on opposite sides of the portion I6 of the tube sheet.

An expander rod 33 is siidable through the housing 26 and has a tapered end portion 34 engageable with the cylindrical end 21 of the housing. The other end of the expander rod 33 is threaded as at 35 for receiving thereon a nut 36 adapted to engage the top of the housing 26. The rod 33 has a hexagonal head 31 adapted to be engaged by a wrench, and a striking-head 38 at the extreme end thereof. As shown in Figure 2, the end 21 of the housing 26 is inserted in the tube II until the preadjusted collar 3| on the housing abuts the outer face of the tube sheet I I. This positions the beads 29 and 30 of the md 21 on opposite sides of the portion I6 of the tube sheet. The nut 36 on the rod 33 is in spaced relation from the top of the housing 26. The end 38 of the rod 33 can then be given a blow by a hammer for forcing the tapered end 34 of the rod through the cylindrical end 21 of the housing to cause an expansion of the segments a, b, c, and d of the cylindrical end, as shown in Figure 3. This expansion forces the beads 29 and 30 on the cylindrical end into the tube I0 to form the beads I9 and 20 on the tube, as shown in Figure 3.

The nut 36 is then threaded on the rod 33 into abutting relation with the top of the housing 26 of the tool. The hexagonal head 31 of the rod is engaged by a wrench to prevent the rod from turning, and the nut 36 is rotated by another wrench for retracting the rod from the housing. When the rod is retracted, the segments a, b, c. and d of the end 21 will spring back into position and the tool can be removed from the tube.

In the modiiication shown in Figure 6, the portion I6 of the tube sheet II has the ends thereof tapered as at 4I) and 4I to provide seats converging in the same general direction. These seats receive the beads I9 and 20 of the tube end I0. Since the beads I9 and 20 are rounded, they will have fuller engagement with tapered sur'- faces such as 40 and 4I than with sharp edges. This construction affords a very tight lock for the end of the tube, since in the formation of the beads I9 and 20 the tube will become lockedl on the portion I6 by virtue of the fuller contact between the beads and the seats of the portion I6.

While the invention has been illustrated ln connection with calking material, it should be understood that the holding structure Iand the method of locking tubes in mountings therefor, according to this invention, can be used in any construction for securing tubing in tube holding or mounting devices of any nature.

We are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and We,

therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent.

granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

In a tube structure including a plate and a tion of the hole which abuts a shoulder at the f" bottom of the countersunk portion, said means comprising longitudinally spaced circular beads depressed radially from the wall of the tube after insertion of an end of the tube in said hole, one bead being depressed outwardly into engagement with a side edge of the plate at an end portion of the hole opposite from its countersunk portion, and the other bead being depressed outwardly within the confines of said plate into engagement with an edge of said shoulder inside said hole and against said packing, said edges engaged by said spaced beads facing in opposite longitudinal directions, whereby the portion of said plate defining the uncountersunk end portion of the hole is tightly interlocked with said tube by said beads to prevent longitudinal movement ai saidtube in either direction relative to said ole.

`JOSEPH M. BANDISH.

OR MARKEL. 

